Image by Michael Breslin of the UofT Varsity, taken from here |
The death of activist Tooker Gomberg is a huge loss. His inspirational drive, imagination, and natural leadership accomplished a great deal for environmental activism
and social justice. The shallow coverage in today's Globe and Mail is indicative of the fact that Gomberg knew how to get under the mainstream media's skin. Tooker was all justice all the time, and his media "stunts" raised awarness about poverty, smog, cycling, and political representation, as well as massively important global environmental issues. He will be badly missed. |
i think the globe story needs a little editing:
"Tooker Gomberg, an environmentalist with a gift for publicity stunts who took on former Toronto mayor Mel Lastman for the top job in 2000, is presumed dead in Halifax. He was 48."
"Tooker Gomberg, an environmentalist who took on former Toronto mayor, with a gift for publicity stunts, Mel Lastman for the top job in 2000, is presumed dead in Halifax. He was 48."
reads much better don't you think?
This just in via email:
Planetfriendly.net has created an on-line discussion
forum where you can share your thoughts and feelings
about Tooker, his life and ideas. To see the posts and
discussion, or to add your own comments, go to:
http://www.planetfriendly.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=19
We've also created a forum for your thoughts on how
to create stronger, more supportive community for
environmentalists, activists and everyone who is
working for a better, more sustainable world:
http://www.planetfriendly.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=18
http://www.planetfriendly.net/community.html#anywhere
good story from Edmonton.
Better story, by Wayne Roberts, in Toronto's NOW magazine:
"I loved talking with Tooker, but to be honest, I never felt comfortable walking with him. He deemed the car a public enemy, an enemy of public space. A person who lived his beliefs, he was not a safe person to stroll with."
This is so much more real than the Globe. Needed to be said.
I voted for Tooker Gomberg two elections ago. I am so sorry that he lost his batlle with depression.
The Toronto memorial for Tooker Gomberg last night was beautiful (tender, honest, funny, the sound of hundreds of bicycles bells ringing in the rafters of Metropolitan United, a giantic range of age and income diversity in the packed out crowd of tearful urban activists) and somewhat harrowing (incredibly, impossibly sad, and more than three hours long).
I have been to one civil disobedience workshop, and the main thing I took away from it was that you need to decide ahead of time, before going to an action, whether you are personally willing to risk arrest for this cause. If no, you can still participate, but stay true to your decision and move off the road when the cops on horses tell you too, don't throw things at people in riot gear, etc. I have participated in a few actions over the years and the only ones I would've risked arrest for so far are the cyclist memorials and occasional controntations during critical mass. I mostly leave the heroics up to somebody else, like Tooker for example, who was ALWAYS willing to step into that role. I think he was shooting for some kind of civil disobedience arrest record.
Tooker was also involved in pretty much every action in Toronto. One summer there was a smog action planned, and an email went out calling us to lie on the steps of Metro Hall (sort of like City Hall, but not quite) on the next bad smog day. So the smog day comes along and I am on a kind of auto-pilot, and just ride along to Metro Hall on my way to something else, figuring there'll be tons of people there and I'll lend my presence to the mob in support. Well there aren't tons of people. There's me and Tooker. Just me and Tooker. And so we lie down together and Tooker is proclaiming with a megaphone "We are going to lie here on these steps until you carry us away, " while nice office ladies walk past us in their pumps and various bemused passersby (not many of them) stand around and look at us. I think we had some kind of banner, but maybe not. I remember lying on my back, gazing up abstractedly at the huge confused security guard and making the decision that "no, Tooker, you are going to lie here til they carry you away." I stuck it out for a little while as they nattered at us to get up, and then bailed when the guy went to touch me. Of course they did physically drag Tooker off the steps, but even the security guards couldn't bring themselves to call the cops on our pathetic, lonely asses that particular day.
|
Image by Michael Breslin of the UofT Varsity, taken from here
- sally mckay 3-06-2004 11:36 pm
i think the globe story needs a little editing:
"Tooker Gomberg, an environmentalist with a gift for publicity stunts who took on former Toronto mayor Mel Lastman for the top job in 2000, is presumed dead in Halifax. He was 48."
"Tooker Gomberg, an environmentalist who took on former Toronto mayor, with a gift for publicity stunts, Mel Lastman for the top job in 2000, is presumed dead in Halifax. He was 48."
reads much better don't you think?
- gbabee (guest) 3-07-2004 1:01 am
This just in via email:
Planetfriendly.net has created an on-line discussion forum where you can share your thoughts and feelings about Tooker, his life and ideas. To see the posts and discussion, or to add your own comments, go to:
http://www.planetfriendly.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=19
We've also created a forum for your thoughts on how to create stronger, more supportive community for environmentalists, activists and everyone who is working for a better, more sustainable world:
http://www.planetfriendly.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=18
http://www.planetfriendly.net/community.html#anywhere
- sally mckay 3-08-2004 1:23 am
good story from Edmonton.
- sally mckay 3-11-2004 5:10 am
Better story, by Wayne Roberts, in Toronto's NOW magazine:
- sally mckay 3-12-2004 6:30 am
This is so much more real than the Globe. Needed to be said.
- sandar 3-15-2004 7:08 pm
I voted for Tooker Gomberg two elections ago. I am so sorry that he lost his batlle with depression.
- anonymous (guest) 3-16-2004 7:06 pm
The Toronto memorial for Tooker Gomberg last night was beautiful (tender, honest, funny, the sound of hundreds of bicycles bells ringing in the rafters of Metropolitan United, a giantic range of age and income diversity in the packed out crowd of tearful urban activists) and somewhat harrowing (incredibly, impossibly sad, and more than three hours long).
- sally mckay 3-22-2004 4:38 pm
I have been to one civil disobedience workshop, and the main thing I took away from it was that you need to decide ahead of time, before going to an action, whether you are personally willing to risk arrest for this cause. If no, you can still participate, but stay true to your decision and move off the road when the cops on horses tell you too, don't throw things at people in riot gear, etc. I have participated in a few actions over the years and the only ones I would've risked arrest for so far are the cyclist memorials and occasional controntations during critical mass. I mostly leave the heroics up to somebody else, like Tooker for example, who was ALWAYS willing to step into that role. I think he was shooting for some kind of civil disobedience arrest record.
Tooker was also involved in pretty much every action in Toronto. One summer there was a smog action planned, and an email went out calling us to lie on the steps of Metro Hall (sort of like City Hall, but not quite) on the next bad smog day. So the smog day comes along and I am on a kind of auto-pilot, and just ride along to Metro Hall on my way to something else, figuring there'll be tons of people there and I'll lend my presence to the mob in support. Well there aren't tons of people. There's me and Tooker. Just me and Tooker. And so we lie down together and Tooker is proclaiming with a megaphone "We are going to lie here on these steps until you carry us away, " while nice office ladies walk past us in their pumps and various bemused passersby (not many of them) stand around and look at us. I think we had some kind of banner, but maybe not. I remember lying on my back, gazing up abstractedly at the huge confused security guard and making the decision that "no, Tooker, you are going to lie here til they carry you away." I stuck it out for a little while as they nattered at us to get up, and then bailed when the guy went to touch me. Of course they did physically drag Tooker off the steps, but even the security guards couldn't bring themselves to call the cops on our pathetic, lonely asses that particular day.
- sally mckay 3-31-2004 7:43 am